Latest / The Group Chat / Ep. 21 Desensitized, Distrustful & Divided: What’s Really Driving Europe’s Protests?
Transcript
- Carson: Do you believe that there could be some really dark agenda that the elites, that the world government, that the shadow world government is orchestrating? Paulina: I wouldn't be surprised. Brandon: Exactly. Carson: Everybody I'm Carson. Paulina: I'm Paulina. Brandon: And I'm Brandon. Carson: and we're the group chat. So, Paulina: Hey, hey. Brandon: We're back. Carson: Brandon, you got a question for us? Brandon: How to question. Okay, so going off of our last episode. We're in a world that's a lot different. So we're we're constantly well not we not personally us, but just people in general. We're recording everything. No matter what happens, like there's always someone with a camera, everyone's live streaming everything. Everything is always being well recorded. And so last well no, this was I think two weeks ago. I don't know if you saw the incident in the UK. I don't remember where, about the it was it was a guy with I don't know if he was special needs or he had a mental disability, but when he jumped into the he was at a zoo and jumped into the tiger tiger cage or compartment, Carson: I didn't see this. Brandon: no. Paulina: Yeah. No, I I don't know what you're talking about. Brandon: You didn't see that? okay. Carson: How did that go over for him? Brandon: He lost badly, obviously. And the thing is, people were recording. I I didn't I personally I didn't see the video because I don't want to see the video. But obviously everyone had their phones and a recording and I don't know, you like the fact that the fact that everyone's always recording everything. Well now we're gonna get into more and more situations like this where we're gonna see people in horrible situations and losing their life in a horrible way. been killed by a tiger. And it's something that well now everything get can get posted on the internet. And as far as I know, I don't think there's any regulations or anything. So what you this isn't allowed to to be posted on the internet. And then last week there was a priest in I believe it was Ecuador who was live streaming his mass and there was a huge cross behind him and a cross fell off the wall and and smashed him. Yeah. Once again, live stream, so it's out for everyone to see. Matter of fact, I did see that video, not by choice. I thought someone was showing me an article about it, but it was the video. And once again, it's something that I didn't really want to see. But how do you feel about the fact that since everything's being recorded now and the fact that people in these horrible situations are like them losing their life is gonna be something that's always gonna be out and available on the internet. Carson: Carson. Brandon: Yeah. It was it was massive. Carson: Isn't it ironic? Brandon: a massacros like they were saying yeah they called the ambulance. I was like I don't even know why you would call the ambulance because I'm sure there wasn't much of him Paulina: Anything to Brandon: left Paulina: Yeah. Carson: Well, I guess firstly I should say what a shame that these people had to die these ways. Like, it's terrible, obviously. And I don't want to see that, just like you. don't, I'm not going to seek out this video, but also makes me think how desensitized we all are to this type of thing. And also at the same time, we're being inundated with a lot of fake videos, a lot of AI generated videos that we don't necessarily know what is real and what is fiction, obviously. information and then these, you know, graphic videos, like just based on being desensitized over generations, based on the movies we're seeing, the things that appear in movies, how realistic everything has become. And then of course, to an extent, the freedom of the internet. It's not really new to us. We are used to seeing, even war footage, it's maybe not necessarily live executions to the point where you're seeing every graphic detail, but we're slowly, we're I shouldn't say slowly. We're steadily getting to that, to where it's just become commonplace. Like you said, everybody's recording everything all the time. And it's funny that we have regulations, probably places we shouldn't, and then we don't have regulations in places we should. And it's just right. How are we even able to put that on the internet? How is that not taken down immediately? then again, who's able to see that in the first place? What kind of, yeah, it's sick. It's sad and it's So. Paulina: Yeah. I have to agree here with Carson that I don't think it's like I don't think yeah, we're definitely desensitized to it. Like it's it there's just so much out there that like when you start scrolling it's like, okay, another thing, another horrible thing, another thing that has happened, you know? And it's like we sort of don't really even sometimes process that this is actually real people that this is happening to. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like we're just so constantly bombarded with information and all of these videos that sometimes you sort of just like disconnect that this is actually somebody's reality, you know? and it's it's horrible because it's like just me reacting now, like how the fuck did he, you know, like get smushed by a cross? But like at the end of the day, like I'm not laughing at him getting smushed by a cross, but it's just like it's it's shocking. That this happens to someone, but at the same time, it's like it's another one of those stories because you see so many of those stories constantly. as Carson said, I think there are some things that really are getting flagged that necessarily maybe shouldn't be getting flagged online, and then there are other things that war footage or whatever, and it's like it's just out there. people without I don't know with their arms or legs blown off and you have to see that. It's like, yeah, it's it's good in one way, it's good to see this in quotes, good for the for those who are not watching that can see in quotations. it's good to see it because it does like open your eyes to it. That's like holy shit, this is actually happening. But at the same time, there are some people that can't watch these type of things that like don't want to see that. Right? And Carson: Mm. Paulina: obviously there are settings for this. You can put in your settings on Instagram or TikTok or whatever that you don't want to see certain type of videos and whatever. But at the same time, it still comes up, it still pops up and it's just like an image, like a blurred image. Brandon: Yeah. Paulina: In reality, you know what it is. So I don't know, there are things that are getting flagged that technically shouldn't be getting flagged, maybe, but then there are other things that are just out there. And this aspect of people recording that versus actually calling for help, that's for me like That's a big sign of how desensitized we are. Like how like our first instinct is let me record this rather than let me call somebody, Brandon: Try to help. Paulina: let me try to help. Carson: Yeah, and you can't say that everybody, well, first of all, you can't say that only one person recorded that. And Paulina: Yeah. Carson: secondly, you can't say that those people didn't think, I'm going to get a lot of likes for this. we value a lot of the wrong things in this world. Paulina: Mm-hmm. Carson: So, Brandon, what do you think of that? You asked the question, but. Brandon: Poof. No, I think it's it's a rough situation that we're in. speaking on the fact that we're all desensitized to everything. the what was it? Valores, like the values class that we have at the school, or we used to have that class. This was like maybe three years ago. The teacher made a comment about cause they would just watch movies. Nor a movie you wouldn't watch in a normal class, movies that in in special situations. For example, one of the movies was American History X. That they watch and they talk about everything. But in one of the movies they were watching, they were having a discussion, and it was a scene when I believe someone was killed. I think they got hit by a car or something. And like the kids just like started cheering. And it's just like, what's happening? Like to the point that these kids that are 13, 12, 13, 14 years old, like they see watching a movie, they see someone die and like they cheer. And like you said, we're so desensitized that it everything's a video game. Nothing is real to them. And of course it was a movie, it wasn't real, but just the fact that in this portrayal, someone died and their response is like to cheer, as it as Carson: Hmm. Brandon: it's nothing. Carson: Hmm. Right. Paulina: I'll I'll I'll I'll make a quick comment. This aspect of them cheering makes me wonder if the person who died was a villain, right? Because we're very okay, because we're very quick Brandon: no. It wasn't. Yeah. Paulina: we're very quick to say like, you know, to cheer for the death of villains, so to say. Right? Like we have seen so many like Marvel movies and whatever, like DC, and we're very quick to like, my god, like the horrible villain finally died, you know? Obviously that's also not good because in reality it's still a person, right? Carson: still alive. Paulina: Still alive, right? But it it has become like acceptable, right? And this goes back to what we have talked about last week, this aspect of death penalty, right? Whether lives should be taken, whether we should be, so to say, cheering for somebody, you know, to that gets a death death penalty because, you know, an eye for an eye and whatever. But yeah, it makes me think, as Brandon, as you said, it's like what goes on through our brains if it's a not a villain, if it's a regular person, like that disconnect, right? Of like we're so just like, okay, well, this happened, and there's that. Carson: It's kind of like we live in this world where if you're not doing the most extreme thing, you're not doing enough, or it's not cool enough, or it's just not exciting. And maybe the fact that this movie wasn't very interesting to the students, I don't know, I wasn't there, I don't know the film, I don't know exactly the sequence of events, but maybe it was just this moment where they're like, my gosh, something interesting happened, and they had this rush of flooding of emotions, the output of their emotions was to clap, and they didn't really realize what they were doing. because a teenage mind is not fully developed and they just don't really know. But then it also, is in a sense, a sign of the times and that back to the whole, we're scrolling and we see, mean, for me, what gets me is where I see dogs being mistreated in cages. Those kill me. And what I was gonna say back to what you were mentioning, Pauline, is that, yeah, you have controls. You can set not to see it again, but the damage is done for a lot of very sensitive people who see that the first time. just because I don't have a subscription to Instagram, I don't have that much control over it to where I have to block these types of ads. have to go into my settings and scroll through the, 50, 100, 150 different settings just to find how to block this type of ad. But yeah, it's this like everything has to be extra, extra, extra. our politicians feel like they have to go way above and beyond and how absurd the the things that they say they have to be in order to get attention. it's like, yo, celebrating the death of somebody even on camera or even in a film or movie is like, okay, that's, where's your compassion as a human being? You have to feel something for the life lost, even if somebody who made bad choices and maybe didn't deserve to be. to have the freedoms we all have as upstanding citizens, but still, it's, yeah, it's a bit concerning. To say the least. Brandon: Quite a bit. Paulina: Good question, Brendan. Carson: Yeah, good one. Brandon: Yeah. But no, it's something I thought about and say, this is more for last week's episode, but Carson: Yeah, ties in nicely. Brandon: Yeah. So what are we going to continue with a much lighter topic, no? Carson: Yeah, well, I wouldn't say much lighter everybody. Just so Paulina: Mm-hmm. Carson: you buckle up. This one's a little bumpy as well, it's just, we're just. Paulina: my god. Just weak so bumpy fucking episodes. Carson: Yeah, well, it ain't always pretty. And Brandon: Definitely not. Carson: what's going on across Europe? Protests we've been seeing, not just in the EU, as Paulina has brought to our attention, but also in Albania and these countries. And what's going on with the cost of living and housing situations and problems with education funding? clash between second, third generation immigrants living in lower income housing in these areas, of course, receiving the worst or the lowest amount of funding. Whereas defense budgets are at an all time high and meanwhile everything else pretty much gets cut. So we've just, as the group chat, we've been talking about the immigration crisis, not necessarily immigration as the crisis, but these protests and people speaking out. I just wanted to pick y'all's brains on this. You can start with Spain or whatever comes up. But there's a lot of theories as to why this is happening now. Is it a time-oriented thing? Is it part of the plan? Is this all going according to plan or is it just a combination of factors? I'll read something just to get this party started. Here's one theory. Paulina: Yeah. Yeah. You do that. Carson: We're going to have a little bit of structure today, everybody. Five Paulina: My goodness. Carson: theories based on this YouTube video that we watched everybody. We watch YouTube. We're on YouTube and we watch YouTube. But one of the theories, Paulina: Yeah, we'll we'll put the link somewhere. Carson: we'll give credit where credit's due, yes. But one of the theories laid out by Brandon, what's his name? It's Andre. Brandon: Andre Andre Jick. Carson: his full name? Okay. Brandon: Yeah. Carson: Yeah, he's a solid guy. He thinks through things, give him credit. But basically, one of the theories is that it's a money problem. Europe's welfare states, especially France, promise more in pensions and social spending than they can afford. So with birth rates far below replacement, there aren't enough workers to support retirees. Immigration was brought in as a fix and This may not be isolated to Europe, right? We've seen this overlap in the US as well. The Biden administration took a lot of, caught a lot of flack for this as well, bringing immigrants to help with the polls, help at the polls, so on and so forth. Meanwhile, while this is happening, particularly in France, where a lot of you have seen crazy videos coming out of Paris. Meanwhile, budgets for schools and services are being cut while defense spending grows. So it's a money problem as well. And who's to blame for all that? What are your thoughts on that theory? The money problem? Brandon: Well, I wanna I just want to go ahead and throw in for particularly here in Spain. Well, all across the European Union, I believe it was actually Donald Trump who told the the NATO countries that they had to increase their defense to I think it was from 2% to 5%, or maybe it was 2.5% to five percent. Carson: Yes. Brandon: And I think everyone went along with it except for Spain, like Pedro Sánchez stood up to him and said no. But I think in the end. He gave a little bit and he increased the spending, but it wasn't to the full excuse me, the full five percent that that Trump was demanding. Paulina: Yeah, maybe a three three point five or something like that, but it wasn't a full five, yeah. Brandon: And of course, well when you go and you spend a lot of money, because once again I can't pull any of the numbers off the top of my head, I can't remember, but it's a lot, it's a lot of money. Carson: We can't fathom the amount of money. Brandon: And then so obviously you're gonna have to take away because there's no surplus of money coming in. I think almost a lot of the countries are in deficits. And so well they had to cut back. And where do they cut? Education's a good place to start. Paulina: Him boils my blood. Yeah. Carson: Hey, just your blood. Think about the students around Spain. I mean, there are other countries that have similar or worse situations. Obviously, I don't want to throw anybody under the bus or not speak up for anybody, but Spain itself could also use more funding for education. I didn't mean to cut you off. Paulina: No, no, no, it's fine, it's fine. it's just it's frustrating that and this happens not just in Europe and the European Union. I mean, we also take a look at the United States and I have my closest friends are teachers and they're just constantly talking about like we don't have money to to get materials for students. Like we pay out of our own fucking pocket to get pencils, pens. I don't know, paper towels for the classroom, like all of the little things that you know schools technically should have and provide for the students, they have to pay out of their own fucking pockets. So for me that's like how? Like how are you gonna cut like budgets on something that is so necessary and especially for the future of the of the country? if you don't have education, what where the fuck is the country going? I'm sorry, but in reality, like when you really think about it, of course, there are many people that haven't finished their university, haven't finished their studies, and are doing fine, you know? But those are like a small percentage. That's a small percentage. When you take a look at the amount of people that actually went to college or Finish their high school degrees, even just talking about high school degrees, right? And what they're doing with their lives versus the percentage of people who didn't finish their schools. It's it's frustrating. It's just frustrating because it's like where the fuck is the country gonna go if you don't have people who are educated enough to actually do the jobs that they need to do. Right? Obviously, but this goes back also to this aspect of maybe I'm jumping ahead a little bit, but this cheap workforce. Right, it's like, yeah, but if a person doesn't Carson: yeah, pay him less. Paulina: have education, we'll pay them less. Right? Or well, they don't have a degree. Okay, so that's thirty thousand less, you know, into your paycheck. So where does that go for for themselves, for whatever other things? Brandon: One of the things I like to show my students when we talk about taxes, or even not even when they ask, because it's a hot topic here in Spain, the students always ask, Well, where do the where did what does the government do with their tax monies? So there's actually a website that I pull up and it shows all the money that the the Spanish government collects from taxes and what they spend it on. And then I always go and I show them where's education. And it's like these big squares. showing how much obviously pensions is the largest, so it takes up half of the page. Then there's this little one all the way far on the right. I like click on it. It's like, what is that? It's like, that's education. That's education. And then also Carson: That's you guys. Brandon: what the the healthcare system, which is surprisingly also quite low when it comes to the budget. Paulina: Carson doesn't know where to start. He's like, fuck, where where do I go from here? Carson: Carson's, Brandon: Where it Carson: Carson's, Carson's was thinking, don't make it dark. Don't, don't Paulina: Yeah. Carson: go down that road. But yeah, but I mean, essentially can't help but say that you keep them stupid. You keep them uneducated. you control them better. And if Brandon: Exactly. Carson: you can control them better, you control the price that you pay for their services better. If you pit them against themselves, they're all competing for the same jobs. Then. You've got this surplus of people in the workforce and then obviously you more people doing the job. You don't have to pay them as much. And we're seeing that with salaries stagnating or declining in relation to the rising cost of living in Europe and the US. mean, this is a large part why people are so pissed off and they're fed up and they're speaking out because they're seeing their governments, you know, spend money in places they shouldn't be. investing in foreign wars. Brandon: For example. Paulina: Yeah. Carson: for example, which, you know, I think a lot of people, these protests, Just people are fed up in general. Like we all have access to the same information and as long as we have access to same information, we can make these judgments and organize ourselves. protesting is an important right. think people should have it. Now, I don't agree with the rioting. I don't agree with stealing from businesses and burning down historic landmarks. That's not a way to solve your problems. And that is a fault of the younger generations or, you know. In lot of cases, it's the minors, it's the, I'm not gonna just call out immigrants, but in some cases, people who fail to assimilate and therefore do not appreciate the cultural significance of the place in which they're living. And this happens everywhere. It's not isolated to France, but it's a complex issue. And of course, there's always more we can do. for our schools, for our teachers, for our students. There's so many professions, so many positions that where people are getting paid outrageous sums of money and at the same time, people in the most important, most impressionable positions such as teachers or law enforcement are being paid a laughable wage or just enough to get by. And then... What do you expect is going to happen? You think people are just going to sit there and take it? I just don't expect that. I'm not at all surprised by people protesting. say, you have to do what you have to do. And when you're, you're not going to take it. What are you going to do about it? And I've never protested. I've certainly felt the need to protest at times. There are things, that I've wanted to, to support and be there for, but personally, I haven't done it. Have you all ever been in? protests you've ever marched. Paulina: Yeah. Carson: Yeah. Brandon: Yeah. Here in Murcia for the education for the teachers. Carson: What was it specifically for higher wages or what? Brandon: Oof, with this specific one I can't remember. It was right when I first came. It was probably it was in most of maybe two thousand and eleven, two thousand and twelve, but I imagine it was for salaries. 'Cause it was after the recession, so everything was all everything was frozen. And we're kind of the same thing now. So everything's becoming more and more expensive and there's no no change in the salaries. So I imagine that's what it was for. Carson: Makes sense. Paulina, what about you? Paulina: For me it was in Poland, actually during COVID, twenty twenty women's rights. So this as aspect that abortion in Poland is not available in it was not available in like an under any sort of circumstance. Like nothing. Like Poland has very, very had, let's put it this way, had very, very strict abortion laws. Carson: Mm-hmm. Paulina: and I know this is going to be a fucking controversial topic. I can already feel feel the people getting angry about this, but Poland has has one of the strictest abortion laws I believe in the European Union to the point that I think Belgium, like during like a conference or something like that, was thinking of like Or they were like they said that Poland will have to pay some sort of penalty for the fact that they wouldn't change these laws because it was not in alignment to the European Union rules or something like that. so it was like unconst unconstitutional or something like it was like very, very extreme. Things have changed since then, but still not what many women Would want it to be. So right now in Poland, once again, what six years later, we have protests. Carson: Yeah, women are protesting for free legal abortions. Because right now, correct me if I'm wrong, you know better than I do, but right now I think the only case that they will allow abortions is in the case of rape or incest. Paulina: Yeah, I think it was something like that. Or that is I'm I'm not a hundred percent sure how it looks like right now, but I think that's one of the cases. And I think there was one more. I think if it's danger to to the mother's health. Like an extreme Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean which is Carson: right, yes, if it's life threatening, right. Something like that. Paulina: still better than what I believe we had before, you know? But like still Carson: Which is crazy because in that vein, because I heard that before, well before the laws got stricter, because I don't know the timeline Paulina: Mm-hmm. Carson: of events here, but something like 90 % or 98 % of all abortions were related to like fetal abnormalities. So these were cases where there wasn't a completely healthy fetus and the women, like 98 % of women, and then that was outlawed. I think that's currently illegal, that type of situation. And I don't know enough about Paulina: Yeah. I'm not a hundred percent. Carson: the science. I don't know, yeah, I don't know enough to say like, that's a crime against humanity, but sure as hell sounds like it is. Sounds pretty bad to not give a woman that ability to choose. It should be her right. Paulina: yeah, so I don't know the current situation, but I think they're trying to pass like another law about it, but most likely it's just gonna get like vetoed by the president. Like I think it's just not gonna go through. Carson: He doesn't care. Paulina: No, he's very right wing. He's like full on right wing politician that does not really put up with that. very traditional Catholic type of family, you know, white pick a fence type of thing and yeah. Carson: For me, the issue doesn't seem, I mean, I feel like there's an obvious case of where a woman is taking advantage of the system and getting abortions every so often just because she doesn't want to get pregnant, yet she's not taking the precautions. She's not being careful enough. And then there's also obviously the cases where it's quite clear too when there's a health risk either to the baby or to the mother. And for me, I don't understand how any developed country in the world still has to have this political process of deciding what that threshold is. mean, Brandon: Exactly. Carson: if somebody's life or somebody's future life is in danger, then let's leave it up to the woman who's actually carrying a child. I mean, how is that? Paulina: At the end of the day, it's it's the woman who's going to to carry the so to say guilt, you know, or like to carry the feelings with her decision like about her decision. You know, like if the woman wants to have an abortion and then she feels shitty about it, I don't know, five years down the line, that's her burden. Shitty to say, but that's her feelings that she will carry. Not the fucking presidents. Carson: Right, right, right, That should be her choice, for better or for worse. Brandon: Not h Paulina: Yeah. Brandon: not his decision. Carson: There's obviously got to be some oversight. we can't just be handing out abortions. But Paulina: No of course, yeah, but Carson: there's a time and a place for any medical procedure. And that has to be between the doctor and the woman. The way I see it. Brandon: Definitely. Carson: I know there's conservative people who lean right. know, conservative people out there who are not as one size fits all when it comes to abortion. I know there has to be. I don't subscribe to the far right, I don't subscribe to the far left. I consider myself a centrist somewhere in the middle. But unfortunately it does, you know, come down to a lot of times like, it's a very, very far right president. And it's for some reason in his best interest for his, you know, getting continued support if he's in favor of out, you know, banning abortions or whatever it may be. And it's really unfortunate because it also just makes it just shows, you know, there's more division because of this type of mindset and these types of decisions ultimately by the people in power. So it's unfortunate. Paulina: Anyway, we got a little bit sidetracked with the with the protests here with the working bot. Carson: Yeah, but different reasons for people to protest. Yeah, it's a lot of reason to protest. Brandon: No. But but that's what it is, yeah, it's part of it. People protesting for Paulina: Yeah, yeah. Brandon: anything and everything. Paulina: That's probably yeah. Carson: True, Paulina: It's important. It's important. I th I think I'm I'm one of those people that a part of me gets fed up with this aspect of protests, I have to say. Like you guys know, like when we were talking about this episode, I was like, Guys, but this happens every fucking year, every two years. Like there are people out protesting, you know, about one thing or another, especially the fucking French. I mean God have fucking patience with them because they're always on the fucking street about something. And fine, that's their right, they have the fucking right to protest. But I don't know. If fucking price of a baguette goes up by 10 cents, we're going out to the streets. Let's go protest. that's my horrible impersonation of French people, but it's just Carson: for me, that's worth protesting. Ten cents? God forbid. Paulina: But it's it's this aspect that like they're always out in the street. But then I think about what was happening in the United States as well. Like a few years back. I I think that was around a time when everybody moved to Poland or a little bit before that, we had the the process with Black Lives Matter, right? And then everyone started to create their whole other spin-off of it, but all lives matter, then that the black Carson: All lives matter. Paulina: Blue lives matter, these Brandon: Nice. Paulina: lives matter and I'm like, Bro, I'm gonna go fucking insane. Mmm. So a part of me understands why the French always out on the fucking street. Because it's just so many now, especially with all the immigration, there's so many like clashes with everything that comes up, whether it's immigration, whether it's the funding, whether it's the prices of housing, whether it's education, whatever. So it does make sense. But sometimes I'm thinking maybe they also got this idea from United States because I feel like United States you look at United States and they're always out on the fucking streets as well, which is fine. But I'm just tired of hearing about protest. I don't know where to what to read, what what to watch Brandon: So Paulina: because it's just overwhelming. Brandon: But no, the the French are definitely in the OG's protests Paulina: Yeah, sure. Brandon: are riots. They've been doing this for centuries. It's not it's not the new. Carson: man. Paulina: It's just overwhelming, you know, like to have enough time to actually sit down and read about all of it. Brandon: it's interesting that a lot of these protests are have started out as education or protests about education, but then they've gone in or gone off into other things. People have taken it or ran with it for different topics. For example, f in France it started as education, but now it's just I don't know, I don't even know what they're protesting for now it's just mainly looks like it's just looting and just craziness happening. Carson: I was talking to my wife last night about this and about this whole like, well, you just said, it's being spun off of education and it's turning into all this and all these other people are coming out of the woodwork and they're getting pissed off and they're marching and they're waving their Palestinian flags and it's become like this, what are you actually protesting, bro? Brandon: Exactly. Carson: Do you even know what you're protesting, bro? Like, k, pass up, bro. But then it is, you know, very easy to believe that this would happen in almost every, mean, I don't claim to really have gone into depth about studying any one protest or any one movement or anything like that. when I know human nature, I understand how people work. And when you see one group empowered to speak out against the authority, against the government, against the party, whatever it may be. then naturally you feel inclined to get your buddies together and say like, hey, they're getting traction. Hey, they haven't been shot dead in the street. Let's get out and do our thing too. And so you got people with all kinds of motivations, all kinds of justifications, some more justified than others, obviously, reasons such as education, reasons such as corruption, government corruption. failings, maybe good intentions without proper planning, people feel empowered and they want to get out there and they want to be heard. They want to be seen. unfortunately, not everybody is so organized with their emotions. They cannot organize themselves in a peaceful manner. And then you have the rioting, have the destruction of public property. then it just, yeah, they lose a lot of credibility in this way. Some of it's manufactured in the sense that, you know, it's some, to some political parties advantage that these protests go the way they go. And then maybe we, just, it's a form of like, you know, it's, it's, it's putting out the fire by keeping people like us confused and wondering who is right here and what is the problem. And do we need to actually take to the streets? And do we actually need to storm the Capitol? Or whatever it may be, it's very much like... It seems sometimes that so many of us are just puppets. just being forced to act this way or being convinced that we should act this way. And that goes for the people protesting and the people not protesting. But yeah, I mean, what do you expect? You expect them to peacefully protest when there's 500,000 people. You think no rioting is going to occur. You think nobody's going to die. Paulina: Yeah. Carson: Look. Those police officers who are doing their jobs are not your problem. They are not the ones telling you that you can't have the correct facilities at your schools. They're not the ones saying your wages are stuck here, even though your cost of living Brandon: Yeah. Carson: is now here. They're not the ones saying we're not giving you the resources Brandon: Yeah. Carson: to assimilate. We're not making it mandatory that you learn the language, learn about the culture, and we somehow find a way to blend our cultures in a way that's, you know. beneficial for everybody. So that brings me to my next topic. Failed integration. Not encouraging people to integrate, essentially. Not forcing them necessarily to adopt language and cultural practices or... Or maybe it's just giving them too much welfare, giving them too much financial support without any like to do list. You must do these things to fit in and we will give you this to survive. It's a, it's a give and take. And I think that's what's mentioned in this video as a lot of European Union countries in the European Union have failed to help their immigrants assimilate. which is why we're having a bit of that in addition to the other reasons for protests, other people protesting, I should say, other types of protesters. It's not helping. Brandon: Yeah. Paulina: Brandon, you wanna talk about the Brandon: Yeah, I was gonna say I I think that's kinda the issue that we have here in Spain. a lot of people come and they receive if they're in precarious situation, they don't have a job or have money, well, the government seems to help them out. I it's something I I haven't looked into it, but for whatever reason, my students, they have a lot of information on this. I don't know if it's from them talking at home or listening to their parents or they actually look into it or they actually know people, but Basically a lot of immigrants hear that they don't have to do anything and that the government just hands some money. for for that is that is that exactly yeah w what you're Paulina: Money. My money at autonomous. My tax money. Brandon: paying every month, yeah. So they take that and they give it to them for not doing anything. And like you said, Carson, I have some requirements. Some of the requirements that I know is that well maybe like, okay, if you go to school this many days, well they get a certain amount of money. And if you do this, well you get a little bit more amount of money. So there's some type of requirements, but these are things that are not provided for the actual citizens. of the country. And so I think when you start giving all these all this help, all this aid, well now the people will they come and say, Well yeah, well come here because they'll you go to school for like three days and they they get they give you money. Paulina: Do you get the Carson: and then they're not learning the language. Paulina: Yeah. Brandon: Exactly. They don't care. Well not once again, not everyone, but in general it happens. I saw today, I think it was I think it was over the week, I actually I think it was Friday, they they kicked someone out of the house. There they were obviously not living there and paying. I don't know what country they were from, but they had been there in the process of getting kicked out of the house for two years. And it turns out that they were actually receiving almost three thousand euros a month. And from from the from the government. And so obviously why why am I gonna work? Paulina: Paycheck. Yeah. Carson: Why would you? Why would anybody? Brandon: I imagine I imagine it it was for the two of them. It was a it was a couple and they had kids, but so I imagine for being two people then having, I don't know, maybe one, two, three kids, well, you get a certain amount money also. But it was between I think it was about twenty seven hundred a month that they were getting. And so obviously it's like why why would I go and look for a job or try anything? Carson: It's insane. soon. Paulina: Yeah. Obviously we can't put everybody in the same, you know, we can't throw everyone in Brandon: Definitely not. Paulina: same basket, but Carson: No, for sure. Paulina: we want to make make that clear. But yes, I mean it's it's a crazy situation. And this is also what they they mentioned in the in the video that they have these like I don't know what they they call them, like the neighborhoods, you know, like where they don't necessarily assimilate because they all Have their own little neighborhoods and he gave a wonderful example. So in this is not only a European thing. This happens in the United States as well. I lived in one of those neighborhoods. I'm not gonna be ashamed when I moved to to the States. We first moved to Greenpoint. Our landlords were were Polish, right? all the shops in the neighborhood were owned by Polish people. Obviously then few blocks over you had the Italian neighborhood and whatever. So there was a weird mix, but it worked, right? Brandon: It's New York. Paulina: Yeah, it's it's New York, right? But Still, either way, I had to learn English, so to say, right? Like, because I was put into a school that you only spoke English. Like there weren't any special schools, you know, for there was a there was a Polish school, but it was only for for Saturdays, right? So it was like a Saturday school. But yes, it made the process easier to adapt to the actual culture and lifestyle and American lifestyle, my parents like celebrated Thanksgiving. Right? Like, I know that's a controversial topic now. Another one of those, right? To celebrate Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, whatever, the pilgrims, whatever. Like all of that. Carson: Depends what you're celebrating. Brandon: Yeah. Paulina: Yeah, exactly. Right. Carson: You can, yeah. Paulina: but what I'm trying to say is that my parents who My mom was already in her 40s, moved to a different country, and she star she started working. She was working with Polish people, but she also worked with a lot of Americans. Right? She got jobs in places where she had to speak English. Her English is not perfect, but she was able to communicate at least the basics enough to not constantly just ask for translators. Right. So there were times where yes, she needed a translator. There were times where she didn't. But that's sort of like part of the process, right? and this aspect that if I'm going to be living here, if I'm going to be working here, I need to assimilate to the culture, right? I'm gonna celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm gonna celebrate Halloween, right? Because that's what they do. And if my daughter wants to go trick-or-treating, even though we come from a Catholic family. She's gonna go trick-or-treating and best believe I'm gonna get her a Halloween costume. Right. So I think that's sort of this aspect that that's what makes a little bit like the United States a little bit different. That yes, you're still in these neighborhoods, but you still have so many other American businesses and so many other neighborhoods around it that the moment you step out from it, you still like you need to adapt, you need to assimilate. Mm whereas in Spain I don't see that as much. Carson: I see that maybe in Spain. No, I don't, I don't want to say that. see that. What I do see is that there are a lot of British communities where you have people Paulina: Yeah true. Carson: from the UK move here and they have their own subdivisions. They have their own grocery stores, this type of thing. And it works in Spain only because it's these, we're talking about people who retired here. Okay. And Now, maybe some of them come here, they still have kids, they bring their kids over, but in a lot of cases, I think the retirees is not really a problem. I think it's, get into the issues when generation after generation, kids are being born and then they grow up to go against the culture of the home country that they're in. Not their home country, if their parents Brandon: Yeah. Carson: are from another place, but, Paulina: Yeah. Yeah. Carson: and here in Spain, it's like, if you don't learn Spanish, you don't survive. And in the U S if you don't learn English, you don't survive. so I think that's kind of why it's a little better in Spain where that, that immigrant issue has not become this, driving force behind protests and rioting and looting and destruction. Whereas maybe in other places like France, it has become an issue. and I don't, know it's not just tied to language, but it is a big part. Paulina: I I want to connect that a little bit to this aspect that you said it's not just tied to language. Yeah, it's not, but it's tied very much so to this aspect of culture and religion. Sorry to put it out there, but it's true. when you have people moving from one European country to another, like my family is from Poland, I moved to Spain. Yes, languages are different, the culture still very different. However, both technically Catholic countries. I don't I don't practice Catholicism, right? But the basics of like to be a good person, not saying that people from different places are not good people, not trying to that sounds horrible the way I maybe I'm putting this. I'm trying to put it in the best way that I can. But the aspect of the certain values that we have Right, might not always be the same values as other cultures might have. Right. And this happens also in the European Union and or in Europe. you go to Scandinavia to the Scandinavian countries, and for example, there, from what I've heard, they don't give you lunch, right, when you go visit your friend. Right? You go play with Timmy and you're gonna be sitting there hungry. Right? Whereas in in Poland, it's like if you go visit your friend. Their parents are gonna give you lunch. So obviously there are cultural differences, but the gap is not so big that you can't, just jump over that gap. It's a little bit easier to bridge the gap. versus, for example, it's the same if I go right now to I don't know, Jordan, or if I go to Kenya or Senegal or whatever, like. Even I don't know, somewhere in Asia, right? I'm talking about like that, it's a very big gap, right? Culturally, there are the transition when you travel, I think Yeah. Carson: Right. You start to see the differences when the religion is a big part of too, religious culture. Paulina: and in the United States, I feel like those gaps don't seem as big because you have people from so many different places, right? That It's normal that you're Polish and your neighbor is Italian, and then two two blocks over there is a Jewish neighborhood. Right? And like you just learn how to live with everybody. Right? And you move on with your life. Whereas I feel like here in Spain or in France, I I don't know hands-on the situation in France. It's been ages since I went to Paris, but I think the the communities are definitely a little bit more segregated. Brandon: There's a lot of cultures and people from all over the world that live in Spain. But it is true, even here in Murcia, everyone lives in a certain area together. all the, I don't know, imagine all the Colombians, all the Ukrainians, everyone's in their area all together. And like you said, the British were here, well, they're all at the beach, all in the coastal towns. They're like no one in Paulina: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Brandon: the city. They're in the mountains and the coastal towns. Paulina: Yeah. Brandon: But they're there and they I guess I imagine for work they have to kinda come together. But for the most part where where they live and their daily life and everything they do is within the community or people that they know from their country and they don't try to interact. And I think it's a shame. I think that hurts them. Obviously Paulina: Yeah. Brandon: we're all in different situations because our spouses are are Spanish and we're we're thrown into it without a choice. Paulina: Right. Carson: Right, Sink or swim. Brandon: But and I think it's something that's I don't know, maybe I'm pretty sure the same thing for you all, but all the Spanish people, all the nerdia's friends and family, and all the other people I've met, they're super appreciative of the way they always tell Brandon, you're more Spanish than American. you were born here, 'cause I'm part of it, because I took it on. Obviously, there's things that I don't agree with or with different different cultures, but I'm in Spain. you have to adapt. And it's something that unfortunately many people when they come, they decide not to or they don't want to for whatever reason and it's I think it's a huge disadvantage for them. Paulina: It's not necessarily maybe that they don't want to, but they also don't have the resources to to do that. Right. Sometimes it's a matter of Brandon: Could be. Paulina: resources, right? Carson: I think incentives too, they just don't have this incentive in a lot of cases. If you're Paulina: Yeah, right. Carson: not forced to do something a lot of times, you're not ever going to do it. Paulina: Right. This this aspect of learning a language, right? If my mom was 42 when she when she went 40 or 42, when she went to the States, she didn't she didn't go to classes because she didn't have the time. She had to work her ass off every single day. What did she do when she actually started working in a in a factory with watches? That's when she started to pick up pick up English from listening. Right. And then she would have a book, she would read the vocabulary, she would ask me how to pronounce things. because she had to work with people who spoke English. Right. but that's the thing, it's like very often people might not have those resources, right, or the incentive because they're not maybe the government doesn't really provide them with additional classes, right? Or maybe they don't know about it, or maybe they don't have the time if they're actually working or if they're taking care of four kids. Brandon: When we went to I went to Morocco with my roommates, this was way back in the day. And we found this cool guy, this cool taxi driver. Cool because he spoke Spanish, because I don't know, I don't speak French. The the people I went to, they could speak French, but we found a taxi driver, he speak Spanish. And we're just talking to him. He was like, where'd you learn Spanish? And was like, listen to the radio. Like his Spanish was perfect. But it's like he didn't go to class, he didn't do anything. He's like, he just listened to the radio, picked it up and Not something that's useful for his job and he can take on Spanish tourists and Spanish speaking tourists and get paid for it. Carson: So cool. I know I wouldn't have learned Spanish if I hadn't moved my ass physically to Spain. And I know I wouldn't have learned Spanish if Spain didn't require me to, based on my situation. Now, I don't know if I'd come to Spain as an unmarried person, if I had been, if I would have been so motivated as to learn it, maybe as well as I know it. But yeah, like you said, Paulina, everybody's in a different situation. Everybody has different motivations. And of course we all have different resources. Some of us are not, do not have the luxury of extra time or any time rather outside of working hours or tending to our families or dealing with health problems. So be it, whatever it may be that we can actually sit there and learn a language. And then also language just comes easily, more easily to some people than others. That that's a factor too. So life is hard. I don't want to. sit here and say that some, there are people out there who have an easy life. I think people who we imagine to have the easiest situations, their lives are more complex than we give them credit. I think life is hard and really, unless you feel this overwhelming compulsion to do anything, you're not gonna do anything. You're gonna take the easy way out because life is hard. So we were looking for that easy. thing hiding around the corner finally I get a break. I catch a break. I can watch the show. can do this thing that I like. That's not so, it doesn't require so much of my energy, right? But, Brendan, like you said, it does make a huge difference in our experience, being able to communicate with people, to understand what's being said around us, to, to do the most basic things. It makes this experience that much richer. And we are all very fortunate, the three of us, that we have people here that have in a nice way forced us to do it, forced us to get to this level. Paulina: What? Carson: but I'm grateful for it. And I do encourage people to adapt to their surroundings. And that does mean learning the local language. I think you get way more out of the experience. I mean, overall, this is your life. This is your, you, what you know, do want to just taste your food half of the way? Do you want to like. hear the music, your favorite song at half volume, would you rather turn it up? you just get more out of it if you put more into it. So do the extra work if you can. Get a little bit less sleep or say no to that thing to say yes to the thing that matters more. mean, it is discipline as much as it is opportunity and prioritizing. Brandon: Yeah. I just want to add really quickly to that that you have to make the time and the effort. Cause you said it's something so basic, the language, it's a it's a necessity. There are people that they come here, they've been here for 20 years, they don't learn the language, and they somehow survive. But your life is so much easier just by learning knowing the language. If you recall, when when I first started teaching in the or the only time I talked in the US was with immigrants. And they were working, Carson: Yes. Brandon: they were they were literally working twelve hour shifts in the factories. And then they would leave the factory and come to a class for an hour, hour and a half to learn English, but learning colors, the numbers one, two, three. that was it. It's like it was super basic. And they were happy as can be and so appreciative of of t of that just that little bit of just okay, what am I gonna learn today? I'm gonna learn these two numbers and how to count three dollars and twenty five cents. But those are things, definitely. I'll I'll never forget them. Carson: That had a huge impact on you, that experience. Yeah, you've mentioned it in three or four episodes at least already. Brandon: Because you see, with us being in education, we see people every single day. I ask my students why are you here? It's like my parents make me of course that you don't want to be here. It's like and then you have these other situations where people actually have the desire to want to learn. Carson: Mm-hmm. This is something special. If you could take Brandon: It changes everything. Carson: some pleasure in the process and the learning, because it is a means to a better life. It is a means to a fuller experience, for sure. Paulina: Yeah. Carson: Let's show. Well. Paulina: Arson, you got another thing to to mention? Carson: I got, all right. What else, what else, what else? All right, another theory for all these protests. It's working as intended for the elites. This is where it gets a little dark. Mass immigration continues because it works for the people at the top. They benefit the most. The businesses get cheaper labor, politicians gain voters in lot of cases. We would say maybe that's more of a left practice. There, the left is a bit more welcoming of immigrants than the right. The right's more like, let's not do that. And the left's like, yeah, bring them in, they'll vote for us. So there's like this mix of ideology and practicality where there's a clash and, know, I think both sides can learn a bit in those regards from each other. Another. Part of this is that ideologues get moral credit without paying the cost. Again, the people who suffer are not the ones who are benefiting. And then planners use the chaos to expand surveillance and control, which brings into play the technological industrial complex. And so of course, in the end, the working class people are the ones who pay for it. We pay the ultimate price. and we can only imagine where surveillance is going. And this kind of sets the stage for more authoritarian governments, more control by the police state. It's if it is indeed part of the dark agenda to part of the plan controlled chaos planned chaos then you know we could see our liberties you know Salaries plummet. Confidence plummets. Social interaction plummets. Surveillance increase. Purchasing power decline. People aren't traveling as much. These things are already happening. These things are, I we, We're seeing just a lot of extremist governments and political figures coming out and being unafraid to go against their promises during elections, the things they promise they will do or not do. They're getting into power and then it's, know, support the highest bidder. Whoever's willing to support me and keep me in power will do what they ask me, more or less. What do we think about that movie? Brandon: We're gonna see this first hand in the in the next month. Cause November Carson: Yeah. Brandon: twenty ninth, the election's here. So we're gonna see how this is gonna play out with with all the votes and everyone's already out campaigning trying to get get their votes. And how are how's it gonna affect the outcome? I think it's gonna be interesting to see. The actual numbers of who votes for which party and which areas. Because here in sp well in Spain, I don't know, but here in the region of Murcia, it was a few years ago. A lot of the immigrants they were supporting the far right. Surprisingly. And now in the last couple of years, well, a lot has changed. And I don't know if they still have that same support as they did a couple years ago for the far right. Especially now as the far right is trying to do everything they can to get get rid of everyone that's coming from other countries. Carson: Yes, yes. We see this kind of like over hyper compensation that the political parties not in power feel they need to get the attention of the voters by saying the complete opposite and most outlandish thing they can. And then they're going to get supporters because people are very excitable. Paulina: But at the same time, Brendan, what you just said about the immigrants and this this aspect of far right, I don't think people are very easily I don't think people very quickly change their political parties. Let's just put it this way. I don't know. Personally, I feel like for me generally that does as doesn't really change, right? Obviously there are different instances and there are different people and whatever, but that doesn't really surprise me that they voted far right, because I have seen the same thing happen with Trump. With a lot of Polish immigrants in the United States. we even saw that there were a lot of Latinos as well that voted for Trump. Right? And so Brandon: Yeah, that's what was thinking. Carson: Yep. Yep. He would have had to have had a lot of support to win, as a lot of our country's in the rights. Paulina: Right, so this aspect that immigrants in Spain are voting for right, doesn't really shock me because that's something that that happened in the United States as well. But is it going to happen again, right, now with everything that has happened in Ceuta? Right, and what what else is is going to come up? Brandon: So I saying it's gonna be interesting to see, especially here in the region of Murcia, how it plays out. See how things change or not change. Paulina: Well I can't for I ca I can't vote for this one. Brandon: Yeah, no, none of us. Paulina: Yeah, Carson: None of us. Paulina: we're not citizens, no? None of us. Carson: We have no voice in the matter. Paulina: So let's just let's just hope that our partners vote well and that's it. Brandon: So Carson: Let's just hope the next Madman is not as much of a Madman or maybe it could even be a wolf. Paulina: Let's see. Let's see what happens. Carson: think people are just over it. And I'm getting the sense that we're going to see more protests. We're going to see more speaking out against government corruption. think their time to get away with this, especially on the financial side, the misappropriation of funds or just the lack of being transparent. mean, like you said just now with Trump being elected, I mean, he made promises that he has not kept. Like I... We could sit here and just start researching all the things he said he was going to do or not do and how he's totally, Paulina: Yeah. Carson: you know, gone back on his word. And he's not the, Paulina: But I can Carson: well, not the first and won't be the last to do it, obviously. Paulina: Yeah. That's what I Brandon: Mm. Paulina: wanted to say. This this at the same time that's politics, right? you you look at Brandon: Exactly. That's what I was gonna say. Paulina: all the fucking politicians around the world and it's always like, No, I won't do this. Goes and does that, right? Yes, I will do this. Don't have the the funds or whatever, you know, like oops, I I can't do it. My hands are tied, whatever. Carson: But you know what you don't see enough of is you don't see politicians who say, you know what, who actually speak to the crowd as maybe a human, would talk to another human. I mean, when you have a, I mean, we all make mistakes. We all do things that we wish we hadn't or vice versa. We wish we had done something when we did it. Cause I think that's important as well. But to actually sit there and say, It just sound like a human, just not sound like a political robot. mean, it's just so much. It's you're so scripted, bro. You're so like, Paulina: We have we have Carson: okay, I know what you're going to say before you say it because it's all bullshit. Everything that comes out of your mouth is bullshit. We can smell it a mile away. So just get me some leader who tells it like it is and says, look, if we don't do this, this is what we're going to see. I didn't do this because my hands are tied. I'm dealing with bureaucracy. say what the problem is, give people a chance to fix the problem. Paulina: We have our lov lovely Mum Donnie in New York City. Carson: Yeah, is he lovely? Paulina: Let's not forget Mamdanny. Carson: Yeah. Paulina: I mean, obviously he's a politician just like any anyone else, but Carson: Why do you like him? Paulina: why do I like him? I don't know, I feel like he he tries to keep his word. Obviously, I'm not living in New York. I I don't see everything that is happening. But from what I see, that you know, if he says that he will try to do something, or if he can do something, he will try and go and do it. Right? Obviously I don't know all the fuck f like the facts about it, but Carson: No, it's impossible. Paulina: right. But in general I feel like he stands up for a lot of communities and he tries to be involved as much as he can as a mayor in different events and different things, whatever, maybe, but that that also might be just him mastering this aspect of puppeteering everyone. Might be. I don't know. So Carson: Yeah, we just don't have any trust in politicians. Paulina: No, may we don't, as much as I want to say, yes, so far from what I have seen, he's been a pretty decent mayor and people seem to like him for the things that he is, so to say, doing. For me, it's difficult to really like know because I don't live in the city anymore. Right? Yeah, I can sit here be like, it's great that he did that, it's great that he did whatever, but if I can't physically see the change, I can't really be the judge of it. Brandon: Yeah. I was gonna make a comment about I think it was Friday night, Pedro Sanchez was on I don't know, some Spanish talk show and he had an interview, and we saw like maybe the second half of it. And Nudir made a comment about is that actually good to see him? Because, like you said before, it wasn't the political robot. He was literally just another person sitting down having a normal conversation, and like you get to see this other side. And you see them differently when you see the way they're their thought process and they're capable of just having a normal conversation and it's not the them processing how can I say this correctly without making this group of people upset and this people upset and it's just like a normal conversation. And it was it was it's cool to see see that with with a prime minister. It made me think about like I think one of the reasons a lot of people liked Obama was because he he was just Times relaxed and you seems like just having a conversation with it. It wasn't so everything thought out, everything has to be perfect, everything has to be like I'm the president, I'm a politician, I have to say it like this. And when I I think that helps. And also, okay. Carson: It's gotta be it. No, no, no, you finish. Brandon: But I just gonna say also, with the same point with Pedro Sanchez, I see he's making trying not to make the same mistake that Kamala Harris made in the presidential campaign. He's been on all I don't know how many talk shows, on podcasts, on everything. He's going to make sure that people are going to hear what he has to say, no matter what the platform is. And I haven't seen what's my man Feho. I haven't seen him on anything. So I don't know if he's gonna start also going and appearing on podcasts and talk shows and everything. We'll see. Like I said, Carson: soon. Brandon: we have a month to see what happens. Carson: I mean, it's got I was gonna say it's got to be a tough job. I can't imagine doing it. I don't want it Brandon: Definitely not. Carson: I Want equality for everybody, of course, I want things to be fair. I Bullshit to go away But to do that job, like you said you constantly you must constantly be considering What party am I? if I say this it goes against my party. I need my party support They support me. I I need them. I don't upset them, right? You feel like You owe so many people something and then that changes what you say. You don't, you're no longer speaking from experience or from your heart. you're just constantly processing what's the right word to say in this situation. And inevitably people are going to see that as inauthentic. You're not, you're not genuine. And then how can we trust you? We, it's just this weird phenomenon that we, we put these people in these insane positions. that require the absolute utmost trust. Yet we absolutely trust them zero, like negative. Paulina: So Carson: We distrust them. And it's just so ironic and it's just so sad that it has to be that way. And maybe it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe the problem is indeed the people at the top. Maybe the problem is indeed the system. Maybe we need to find a different way of governing ourselves. Or maybe we need to do a better job of governing ourselves, period. instead of being told what to do or waiting to be told what to do. Not trying to tell people to rise up. That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to incite anything here, but we all have to think for ourselves and we all have to do our diligence and do our research. And like you said, Brandon, hearing him on these podcasts, seeing a different side of him is a good way to do research and make your own judgments about who he is as a person and what may be his motivations at his core and step aside from this political arena for a second. and get rid of the right versus left. know, good versus bad tribalism, which is what it comes down to. You know, this isn't a sport. This is, this is life and it doesn't have to be a game. making it a game. We're good at that, but yeah. Wild man. Paulina: I don't have anything else. Carson: Y'all want more? You got more? You want more? Let's, Brandon: Yeah. Carson: let's, I may just combine the last two and then Paulina: All right, all right. Carson: we'll wrap things up. We're getting to our point everybody. We're not a three hour podcast. We're hour-ish, hour-ish Paulina: Yeah. Carson: is when we're starting to be like, hmm, this is going on. All right, let's see if I can combine these or just make it into one. That's what combining means, right? Paulina: Number four we we already talked about a little bit. Carson: we got there. Alright, let's go full dark mode. Agenda 2030, end game. The elite only need ordinary people until AI and robots can replace them, at which point the general population, or the population itself, might be disposable. Is this part of drawing on from before, is this part of the bigger plan? know, manufactured chaos. Is there some final divisive ploy to get us to either assume the need of surveillance to the nth degree and absolute control of government over keeping us safe? Right? We need them to keep us safe because these protests are getting out of control. And why are they protesting and all this shit? Do you buy into that? Do you believe that there could be some really dark agenda that the elites, that the world government, that the shadow world government is orchestrating? Paulina: I wouldn't be surprised. Brandon: Exactly. Paulina: I'll just put it out there. I wouldn't be surprised, but at the same time, it's also like I don't want to believe that, you know, because it's like I want to stay stay Carson: I don't think anybody wants to believe that. Paulina: positive and be like, yeah, like let's be happy and just continue with our lives. But that's also th this aspect that we us, you know, like living in Spain, having job, like, you know, doing like everyday life, you know, we're fortunate to be sort of ignorant to it. Fort fortunate as in obviously being ignorant is not good, but fortunate as in that we can we have that choice, right? That we can sort of step aside. Yeah. Carson: Yeah, we have that luxury currently. Currently we have that luxury. Paulina: That we can step aside and sort of just be like, well, the protests are happening in France. The protests are happening in in Poland, in Albania, and whatever. that doesn't Yeah. Carson: it's just Gaza. it's just Iran. it's just Ukraine. Paulina: Right? That it yes, it affects us, obviously. But we yeah, we have that luxury to if I don't want to read the news, I'm not gonna read the news. Right? I don't have missiles flying all over my you know, in my backyard, so to say. So I don't know, obviously I I want to believe that it's not the case, but it comes down to this aspect of like, yeah, how much do we actually trust one the government? If we can't trust our politicians, that's one layer, then how are we else going to like how are we going to trust somebody else? You know, that is higher than our base Brandon: About then. Paulina: level politicians. Brandon: I don't know. I think Paulina: Brenda? Brandon: The whole idea, I we kinda touched on this before, the whole idea of the AI taking over and doing everything is not good. Because if we have a society without a purpose, that's gonna be worse than everything. You have a bunch of people, you have hundreds of millions, if not billions of people, they just wait nothing to do. What's gonna happen? That's when the the true chaos will start, I believe. Carson: If you put them in cages first though. All they are left to is their minds and whatever entertainment they have at their fingertips. But if they are too afraid to go outside Brandon: TikTok. Carson: or, or if it's too unsafe to go outside, or at least there's the illusion that it's too unsafe to go outside. If fear is so high or the immediate danger is so high that you cannot go out, you cannot interact, then you are by definition controlled in a cage and there's nothing you could do about And if AI were to have, were to be evil, we'll just say it, if AI were to end up being evil. Well, firstly, I would blame humans for that. I would not blame, Brandon: Creators. Carson: we, I think we need to assume full responsibility for our creations. If a car kills somebody and explodes, that people who made that car are responsible. This is no different in principle. So. If that happens and it very well could happen and AI could, for whatever reason, for its programming or for its acting on its abolition decides that humans are a threat to themselves. They should no longer be going outside and interacting with one each one another. Let's keep them inside. They all have a home as long as everybody has a home or screw the ones who don't keep them in their biochemical weapons, whatever you name it. You can make the environment pretty unlivable either with nukes or something else. And maybe, who knows, maybe AI would be more civil about the whole damn thing than we would be with ourselves if we were left to a nuclear war decision. Perhaps it would be a better future if AI were to get ahead of it before we were. If AI were to know things before we did and before we pushed the buttons, they decided for us. And that would be a weird thing to come out of on the other side is the realization that AI was actually looking for our best interests, looking at our best interests. by keeping us inside, not saying that will happen or it could happen or it should happen, but it Paulina: That'll be tricky. Yeah. Carson: would be trippy as fuck. Paulina: Idea for a movie. Let's trademark that shit now. Carson: I'm sure people have, I I've seen all kinds of amazing creations of people, even with AI content. mean, I think people are really doing cool things with it. I'm not, I don't feel threatened creatively by AI. think some people are, and they probably have every right to be, but I think we can do more with it than, then it's going to, then it would be a detriment to us creatively. think we just have to. If we control this the right way, this could be really, really good for humanity. I'm still optimistic at the end of the day. still, until some Brandon: Yeah, I see. Carson: bad shit happens, until some bad shit really happens, you're gonna hear me saying, okay, it could still go well. That's just who I am. That's part of my personality. Until you prove to me that you're not worth trusting, I'll trust you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But anyways, let's see how this shit goes. Paulina: I'm guessing this is Halloween episode part two, no? post Halloween, exactly. Brandon: Be post Halloween. Carson: Okay babe, it's a spooky month y'all. Spooktacular. Paulina: Hello. Carson: Do y'all have anything else you want to Paulina: No. Brandon: I think we're good. Carson: I think it's time for dinner. Paulina: Just Brandon: See if we can light it up next time. Next Carson: Stay down. Brandon: episode. Something happy. Carson: Bye, man. Paulina: No, there is a much happy new. Carson: Make your own happiness. Make your own happiness. Spend time with the people you love. Go for a walk, go exercise, travel when you can. Like, Brandon: Exactly. Go outside. Carson: happiness is a choice. If you look too much at the bad stuff, you're gonna feel bad. So, yeah. Be in charge. Brandon: I was at the beach this weekend, just walking on the beach in the water. It's amazing. It's I don't know. Just being outside in nature. Carson: My name's Brendan, I like to go for long walks on the beach. Brandon: Long walks no, it was hot. Carson: Walks on the beach. Yes. No, but it's true Brandon: Exactly. Carson: though. I came out of the bar today. Yes, I was at a bar everybody. I was watching the Manchester United match. They lost miserably. was freaking terrible. But there's a little bit of Kalima, but it's right there on the coast. I just, you know, seeing the volcanoes in the distance and this weird haze. I don't really know how else to describe it. Weird haze, but just the beauty of the ocean. Just that five minute walk back to the car. like... I live in a really cool place. And I don't like Kalima. It's like my least favorite thing about the weather here, because we're closer to Africa, so we've got Kalima. But it was cool. It's cool. Made me appreciate where I live and the Earth and my planet and little things like that make you smile. Paulina: Yeah. Well, I don't go outside that much. I work from Carson: Holy. Paulina: home. I barely see the sun. Brandon: Paulina hasn't been outside in three weeks. Paulina: That's why I'm so pale. No, I'm just joking, but maybe I'll go get chicken nuggets now. It's it's that Carson: Yeah, chicken nuggets, dude. What kind of sauce are you gonna get? Paulina: Sweet and sour. Carson: Sweet and sour sauce or chicken nuggets? No shit. Paulina: Yeah. Yeah, with with ketchup. If you mix the ketchup in sweet and sour and you just dip it, amazing. Carson: more about honey mustard barbecue sauce sometimes ranch ranch and hot sauce I like that combination too Always burn. All right, guys, it's got really random, really fast. we're going to dip. Paulina: So Carson: Have a good one. Please follow us. Like, share, and subscribe. We appreciate your support. And we'll catch you on the next one. Bye. Paulina: Bye. I'm gonna go get my chicken Brandon: Finish. Paulina: again. Bye! Carson: Bye!